diff -aur php-5.2.5_p20080206.orig/ext/mysql/php_mysql.c php-5.2.5_p20080206/ext/mysql/php_mysql.c
--- php-5.2.5_p20080206.orig/ext/mysql/php_mysql.c	2008-02-06 14:22:57.652600900 +0100
+++ php-5.2.5_p20080206/ext/mysql/php_mysql.c	2008-02-06 14:24:40.216655403 +0100
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@
 	PHP_INI_ENTRY("mysql.default_port",				NULL,	PHP_INI_ALL,		OnMySQLPort)
 	STD_PHP_INI_ENTRY("mysql.default_socket",		NULL,	PHP_INI_ALL,		OnUpdateStringUnempty,	default_socket,	zend_mysql_globals,		mysql_globals)
 	STD_PHP_INI_ENTRY("mysql.connect_timeout",		"60",	PHP_INI_ALL,		OnUpdateLong,		connect_timeout, 	zend_mysql_globals,		mysql_globals)
+	STD_PHP_INI_ENTRY("mysql.connect_charset",		NULL,	PHP_INI_ALL,		OnUpdateString,		connect_charset,	zend_mysql_globals,		mysql_globals)
 	STD_PHP_INI_BOOLEAN("mysql.trace_mode",			"0",	PHP_INI_ALL,		OnUpdateLong,		trace_mode, 		zend_mysql_globals,		mysql_globals)
 PHP_INI_END()
 /* }}} */
@@ -376,6 +377,7 @@
 	mysql_globals->connect_errno = 0;
 	mysql_globals->connect_error = NULL;
 	mysql_globals->connect_timeout = 0;
+	mysql_globals->connect_charset = NULL;
 	mysql_globals->trace_mode = 0;
 	mysql_globals->result_allocated = 0;
 }
@@ -515,6 +517,7 @@
 {
 	char *user=NULL, *passwd=NULL, *host_and_port=NULL, *socket=NULL, *tmp=NULL, *host=NULL;
 	int  user_len, passwd_len, host_len;
+	char *connect_charset=NULL;
 	char *hashed_details=NULL;
 	int hashed_details_length, port = MYSQL_PORT;
 	int client_flags = 0;
@@ -527,6 +530,7 @@
 
 
 	connect_timeout = MySG(connect_timeout);
+	connect_charset = MySG(connect_charset);
 
 	socket = MySG(default_socket);
 
@@ -640,6 +644,9 @@
 				mysql_options(&mysql->conn, MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, (const char *)&connect_timeout);
 			}
 
+			if (connect_charset != NULL)
+				mysql_options(&mysql->conn, MYSQL_SET_CHARSET_NAME, connect_charset);
+
 			if (mysql_real_connect(&mysql->conn, host, user, passwd, NULL, port, socket, client_flags)==NULL) {
 #else
 			if (mysql_connect(&mysql->conn, host, user, passwd)==NULL) {
@@ -684,6 +691,9 @@
 				signal(SIGPIPE, handler);
 #endif /* end mysql_ping */
 #if MYSQL_VERSION_ID > 32199 /* this lets us set the port number */
+				if (connect_charset != NULL)
+					mysql_options(le->ptr, MYSQL_SET_CHARSET_NAME, connect_charset);
+
 				if (mysql_real_connect(le->ptr, host, user, passwd, NULL, port, socket, client_flags)==NULL) {
 #else
 				if (mysql_connect(le->ptr, host, user, passwd)==NULL) {
@@ -747,6 +757,9 @@
 			mysql_options(&mysql->conn, MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, (const char *)&connect_timeout);
 		}
 
+		if (connect_charset != NULL)
+			mysql_options(&mysql->conn, MYSQL_SET_CHARSET_NAME, connect_charset);
+
 		if (mysql_real_connect(&mysql->conn, host, user, passwd, NULL, port, socket, client_flags)==NULL) {
 #else
 		if (mysql_connect(&mysql->conn, host, user, passwd)==NULL) {
diff -aur php-5.2.5_p20080206.orig/ext/mysql/php_mysql_structs.h php-5.2.5_p20080206/ext/mysql/php_mysql_structs.h
--- php-5.2.5_p20080206.orig/ext/mysql/php_mysql_structs.h	2008-02-06 14:22:57.510605687 +0100
+++ php-5.2.5_p20080206/ext/mysql/php_mysql_structs.h	2008-02-06 14:23:27.764590355 +0100
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@
 	long default_port;
 	char *default_host, *default_user, *default_password;
 	char *default_socket;
+	char *connect_charset;
 	char *connect_error;
 	long connect_errno;
 	long connect_timeout;